1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a golf putting training device and in particular to a golf putting training device which provides an indication as to how far a golf ball would actually travel on a putting surface having a particular stimp value in response to the force of a golfer's putting stroke.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large percentage of the golf strokes in a typical round are directed towards putting the ball into the cup after it has been successfully driven to the green. Accordingly, almost all serious golfers are constantly working to improve their putting skills. Successful putting depends in large part upon the golfer's proper consideration of the frictional resistance of the green surface and the contour and terrain of the green surface.
The frictional resistance of a green surface is commonly expressed in terms of a stimp number. The stimp number is a measure of the distance which a ball will travel on a level green when released from a stimp meter. A stimp meter is a simple device consisting of an aluminum trough with a length of 30 inches inclined at a 20 degree angle from the horizontal green surface. A ball released from a stimp meter will always have the same initial velocity when it comes into contact with the green surface and will travel a certain distance on a horizontal green depending upon the friction imparted to the ball by the putting green. The distance which the ball travels is that particular green's stimp number. Stimp numbers typically range from about 7 feet for very slow greens to about 12 feet for very fast greens.
A variety of golf training devices have been developed to aid a golfer in practicing their putting stroke. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,966 discloses a golf putting trainer which aids a golfer in perfecting the alignment of their putting stroke by utilizing reflected light to determine the angle of the putter head. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,041 discloses a golf putting trainer which assists a golfer in training both the alignment of their putting stroke swing and the angle of the putter head by utilizing a pair of guide rails and a visible light beam along which the golfer may strike the ball. While each of these training devices effectively aids the golfer in perfecting their putter head alignment and stroke path, none of these devices are useful for training the force with which the golfer must strike the ball to obtain a putt of a desired distance on a particular green surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,075 discloses a golf simulation game which includes both a driving simulation device and a device for simulating putts on a variety of green surfaces. The driving simulation device utilizes counterbalanced balls mounted on either end of a spinning rod which a golfer may strike to simulate driving a golf ball. A mechanical counter coupled to the spinning of the rod provides an rough estimate of the distance a driven golf ball would have traveled in response to the golfer's swing. The driving simulator also includes a knob to vary the resistance of the spinning rod to roughly account for the different club choices or whether for simulation purposes the ball is being hit from a fairway, rough or sand trap. While this mechanism is adequate, in the context of a simulation game, for providing a rough estimate of the distance a golf ball would travel in response to the force of a golfer's swing, it provides neither the means nor the level of accuracy necessary to assist a golfer in perfecting their putting distance.
A putting simulation device is also disclosed, as a part of the game. The putting simulation device utilize hanging curtain-like obstacles to dissipate a portion of the kinetic energy of a golf ball to effect a crude simulation of differing surfaces based on the characteristics and number of the obstacles. Again, while adequate for providing a rough estimate of a putting distance in a simulation game setting, this method clearly does not provide the golfer with an accurate correlation between the force of a putting stroke and the distance which the ball would actually travel on a green surface with given characteristics.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf putting training device which allows a golfer to practice putting a golf ball a specific distance on a variety of surfaces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf putting training device which will accurately inform a golfer the distance a putt of a given force would travel on a green surface having a particular stimp value.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide golf training device which will allow a golfer to practice lengthy putts in a small area.